Honesty in Othello: Critical Essay - Special Academic Support

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Throughout the plot of the play, the character Othello reveals himself as an amoral character. His character is interesting from many perspectives since the protagonist develops from being a heroic and moral individual into a cruel and amoral person, who even kills, as the result of Iago´s insidious machinations. Othello can be described as a foil since he shows the same dishonest and cruel behavior as Iago.

At the beginning of the play, Othello is represented as moral, since he shows the creation of trust, confidence, and integrity in relationships. In Act 1 Scene 2, Othello shows his pride in his services to the Vetenarian State by saying, My parts, my title, my perfect Soul / Shall manifest me rightly. His word choice derives that he is self-assured because he says my title and my perfect soul. However, although he seems moral in the mentioned phrase, it foreshadows his character flaw that may later in the play result in his unethical and misleading actions, since it reveals his arrogance and the fact that he cares about his reputation, which thrives him for his amoral behavior further in the play because Iago uses Othello´s social and racial insecurities to undermine his feeling of unworthiness for Desdemona. In addition, Othello also says My life upon her faith in Act 1 Scene 3. Othello had been warned by Barbanito, Desdemona´s father, to be careful with his daughter, because if she could betray him, she could do similar to Othello. This statement is ironic because, after Iago´s sinful plans, Othello actually does give his life for Desedemona´s paucity of faith. Othello also shows how strong his love for Desdemona is when they greet each other in Cyprus, by saying If it were now to die, Twere now to be most happy, for I fear. This declaration denotes that if he would die right now, he would be happy, since he is united with her and that he may never be as happy as now again. This is propheticsince due to Iago´s intervention Othello will actually never be as happy as then again. This implies that his desire to die happy and joyful will not be fulfilled.

His love for Desdemona symbolizes his moral character trait at the beginning of the play, however, we can still detect signs of amoral features, since he already shows emotional instability, by laying his life on her faith.

As Iago´s interferences start to occur and affect Desdemona´s and Othello´s relationship, we as the reader, can see how Othello develops into a man consumed and driven by jealousy. In Act 2 Scene 3 we can see an early example where Iago seizes Othello under his power; I know, Iago, Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter, Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee But never more be an officer of mine. Here Othello believes in Iago´s honesty and in his statement that he did not want to trouble Cassio. At the end of his speech, Iago has successfully achieved his goal; to discredit Cassio in the eyes of Othello. Othello even says But never more be an office of mine, which shows that he is not very thoughtful anymore and quickly based his decision (to never make him his officer again) on Iago´s side of the story. From this point onwards, Othello starts to believe what he hears, rather than trying to build up his own opinion and discover himself. This is one tremendous character flaw, because he loses his sound judgment , due to the fact that he takes action without showing deep thought.

Act 3 Scene 3 is the turning point of the play, also called the temptation scene. Othello starts to lose trust in Cassio, due to the way Iago explains his view on Cassio. Othello asks Iago for his opinion on Cassio when saying Indeed? Ay, indeed! Discernst thou aught in that? Is he not honest?. This implies that Othello loses the trust in one of his old officers, without any real evidence, and just to the fact that he had left his house. This shows clear signs of Amoral behavior since he loses trust in people and starts to become emotionally unstable.

In Othello´s soliloquy, he reflects on the conversation with Lago and starts to think that he can’t expect Desdemona to love him truly since he is black, uncivilized, and old.

‘Haply, for I am black

And have not those soft parts of conversation That chamberers have, or for I am declined

Into the vale of years yet that’s not much

She’s gone.

This shows the result Iago´s wicked plots had on Othello since Othello is starting to believe that he is not good enough for Desdemona. From his word choice, we can detect that his fear is very emotional and rooted in the incoherent logic of racism. His feeling of unworthiness starts to flourish into anger and malevolence, which indicates a very clear and obvious amoral behavior since he demonstrates serious personal defects, which later lead to his impulsive and often cruel behavior.

In Act 4 Scene 2, Desdemona is being true to Othello, however, Othello does not believe her and sticks to his idea that she had betrayed him. During their conversation, Othello describes Desdemona as a whore, in which he alludes to the sexist stereotype and indicates his development into an amoral character. Moreover, he also wishes Desdemona never have dean born, by saying ‘O thou weed Who art so lovely fair, and smells so sweet, That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst never been born, That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne’er been born!.

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